Dutch Harcolor Eden/Tulip light fixtures add an artistic whiff of the moderne: blue tulips for mood in the common areas and white tulips in staterooms for ambiance and reading.  The staterooms are beautified by one-of-a-kind, handmade silk Persian rugs.

All these regal appointments make an appropriate setting for Absinthe’s many works of original art.  Heidi Taillefer, a prominent, contemporary artist from Montréal, is represented by “The Horse,” an oil painting in the bar area and by drawings elsewhere on board.  Suzan Point, an acclaimed artist of British Colombia’s Coast Salish, contributed a serigraphy collection.  Choice pieces of native art placed around Absinthe’s interior impart a stronger sense of place, of a West Coast wonderland. 

Many of the drawings and paintings aboard Absinthe depict animals and thus accord with her mission of exploring unspoiled regions rich in wildlife.  A design developed expressly for Absinthe, modeled on M.C. Escher’s celebrated “Metamorphosis,” depicting interlocking images of swimming fish and fowl in flight symbolizes Absinthe’s double mobility concept and is used on fabrics on the padded headboards in the ship’s staterooms. 

A statue of Vincent Van Gogh also graces the quarters, placed here because Van Gogh was an absinthe enthusiast.  A myth attached to the beverage in the early 20th century, yet was naught but a myth.  Thujone, the chemical compound thought responsible for absinthe’s unusual inebriating qualities, is present in the drink at levels such that to ingest enough to cause enduring systemic harm, the drinker would first go into delirium tremens.  Sage oil, for example, extracted from the cooking herb, is 50% thujone, yet was never outlawed.  Still, the disinhibiting nature of absinthe was such that the poet Ernest Dowson quipped “Absinthe makes the tart grow fonder.”  If you are, nonetheless, disinclined to sample absinthe straight, you might enjoy its essence in the unforgettable confection that is sabayon à l’absinthe de Pontarlier

Happily, master chef Steve Ridley is on hand to prepare whatever delicacy you may desire to cordon bleu standards.  For years, Steve was the Executive Chef at The Bear Foot Bistro in Whistler, British Colombia.  Praise was heaped on him by many trustworthy gastronomes.  Bon Appétit magazine said: ““The buzz is that Whistler offers the best eating of any ski resort on the continent. Those high standards are met beautifully at Bear Foot Bistro.”  A critic for the London Times declared that at Bear Foot, he enjoyed the best meal of his life. 

Steve Ridley is expert in Pacific Northwest culinary culture.  Committed to giving Absinthe’s guests peak experiences even when they are not in the mountains heliskiing, he painstakingly seeks the finest local ingredients for his creations.  Representative might be his Artic caribou short loin, wrapped in Bayonne ham, served with blackberry jus and a vegetable terrine.  He furthermore has a métier for pairing wines with food, and frequently prepares tasting dinners in which the wines not only harmonize perfectly with the dishes they accompany but also with each other.  As a wine to accompany the caribou short loin, Steve recommends Penfolds Grange 1998, an Australian vintage so prized that epicures in France order cases on-line. 

In Absinthe’s climate-controlled wine cellar, Steve and his sommelier have a resource any oenologist might envy.  Every chateau worth the detour is represented, including Petrus, Haut-Brion, and Chateau Margaux.  An outstanding collection of fine champagnes is an embarrassment of riches: Krug 1973 and 1979, Louis Roederer Cristal 1977 and 1979, Bollinger 1973 and 1975; one feels better just reading the list.  Imagine being able to choose from 1896, 1900, 1908, and all years between 1920 to 1972 of the incomparable Armagnac from Chateau de Laubade. 

I asked Chef Steve how he would meet a request for Tournedos Rossini.  He responded by saying that using Kobe beef and seared foie gras with grilled Portobello mushrooms, all atop a focaccia crouton and served with a red wine veal jus, he would prepare a world-class exemplar of Tournedos Rossini.

It goes without saying that Steve’s creations receive the most elegant of presentations.  Bernardaud, Limoges porcelain dinnerware and Puiforcat silverware are used for fine dining.  For more casual al fresco meals, Rosenthal Dune china and Italian Mezzo silver flatware are employed.  Wines are poured in Riedel crystal decanters and stemware. 

Manning Absinthe’s state-of-the-art, exquisitely designed and furnished pilothouse is Captain Roy Cooper.  Hailing from South Africa, and thoroughly certified and experienced at the very highest levels of nautical handling and management, Captain Roy is at the center of the soul of the Absinthe experience.  He cites the lure of the sea as a constant in his life.  I asked him about his love of the ocean: “It’s romantic.  It’s dangerous.  It’s fulfilling in every sense of the word.  It’s in my blood and is part of what makes me who I am.  There is nothing comparable.  That’s why I go to sea.”

Speaking of how Absinthe handles, Captain Roy says: “At sea, she moves like a superstar on ice.  In port, she moves gently under your feet.  She likes a firm hand, and I give it to her.”  He points out that the wood-paneled pilothouse is furnished with comfy seats and unique antique pieces to allow guests to observe operations, perhaps while sipping a fresh-brewed, exotic coffee while watching the sun appear over the horizon.  “A guest can be made to feel super-extra special, sipping a flute of finest champagne while seated in the ornate Speaker’s Chair, late of the Quebec Assembly,” he says: “Do not trouble yourself with the comings and goings of the crew.  Just sit.  Be yourself and enjoy this perfect moment in time.” 

Of course, the quality of service experienced by guests is dependent on the Captain’s professional management of his crew.  Here’s what Captain Roy says of his style: “My job is not just about giving orders.  It’s also about being compassionate, about understanding, about giving support when support is needed.  I encourage spiritual health in my crew.  I listen more than I talk.  I exercise unimpeachable honesty and integrity in all my dealings with everyone.  Therefore, my crew members follow when I lead.  Content in their lot, they make our guests feel sincerely and cordially welcomed for the duration of their stay.” 

Whether you wish to schuss down mountain tops in a British Colombian heliskiing adventure or race a Sea-Doo wave runner atop the Sea of Cortés, Absinthe’s employees will see that you are pampered before, during, and after your sporting activities.  After your charter vacation, you’ll surely agree that there is nothing at all wrong with being Absinthe-minded. 



Comprehensive information relating to Absinthe may be found on Sea to Sky’s website, www.motoryachtabsinthe.com.  The company maintains a toll-free phone, 1-866-935-3228.  Fraser Yachts Worldwide handle bookings; Patrcia Saks is in the Ft. Lauderdale office, (954) 712-7118, while Solenn de Braux is in Fraser’s New York office, (212) 336-7841.